


We're All In This ToGAYther

by bashfulisak



Series: Once a Ville Katter, Always a Viller Katter [1]
Category: SKAM (Norway)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School Musical Fusion, Angst, Awkward Tension, Dancing, Dancing and Singing, F/F, Singing, Tags Will Update As Story Progresses, Volleyball, hsm au, theres some angst in here yall, volleyball player!eva, where are my lesbians
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-03 18:58:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14575497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bashfulisak/pseuds/bashfulisak
Summary: Eva Kviig Mohn, captain of Hartvig Nissen's volleyball team of the Ville Katter, finds herself in a star-dazzled night of singing karaoke with a certain girl who she barely knows. She becomes torn between volleyball, singing, and chasing love all while breaking the barriers of the status quo at Hartvig Nissen.Noora Amalie Sætre, a transfer student from Madrid, Spain to Oslo, Norway finds herself stuck in the loop of fitting in at Hartvig Nissen, but one girl in particular somehow helps her find her way into the trend. She finds herself dipping out of her comfort zone, all while Eva is at her side.Both of them find tears and cracks in their routine of singing and dancing at Hartvig Nissen with both the scrutiny of their friends and the disapproval from the head of the drama department, Vilde Lien Hellerud.





	1. Happy New Year

**Author's Note:**

> HELLOOOOO im back again with another chaptered fic u guys...... do u think i can keep up with this lol
> 
> welcome to the wlw version of the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL SKAM AU!!
> 
> shout out to my lovely babe sass for the help and encouragement into writing this and if yall are out there and havent read her evak hsm version, u totally should!
> 
> enjoy xx

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to the pushing of their parents, Eva and Noora find themselves singing karaoke and connecting over some hot chocolate.

It's New Years Eve in Oslo, Norway, and somewhere within the Nordic mountains there's a ski lodge buzzing with holiday festivities. There's endless strings of lights decorating the walls within the lodge, lighting up the rooms and shining above the party—goers who are beginning to celebrate and welcome in the New Year. It's a mingle of adults with a few teenagers who managed to sneak into the fun, and the room is filled with the chatter of everyone talking and partying, along with the occasional couple singing along to karaoke. Despite the chaos, everyone can feel the floor bumping due to the music from underneath in the Freestyle Club underneath — aka, the children's lounge — but no one bothers to pay attention.  
  


Despite the warm invitation of a few strangers, Noora finds herself back in her empty room, cuddled up in her bed with her phone as she scrolls through Facebook, busying herself. Her mother, Ella Sætre, disappeared somewhere to answer a phone call from her lawyer, which, Noora guesses, has to deal with the divorce her parents are going through.  
  


_ Divorce _ .  
  


To Noora, that's all her mother ever seems to worry about nowadays despite it being her fathers issue. It ticks her off more than she would like to admit, especially right now given that this ski lodge trip was meant to be just for her and her mother so they could forget about the divorce arrangements, but of course with just one phone call, Noora is left alone in her room at the lodge. Noora lets out a sigh as she continues to scroll through Facebook.  
  


"Noora! Come on, it's New Years Eve. You shouldn't be spending it on your phone," her mother, Ella, says and Noora fights back the urge to snap at her mother.  
  


"There's nothing to do here, Mamma," Noora informs her but she scoffs. "This trip was meant to be for us, remember? For us to do stuff together, but you keep getting pulled away all because of Pappa. You promised you wouldn't take any calls!"  
  


Ella frowns, pinching the bridge of her nose as she takes a spot on the bed beside her daughter. "I know, I'm sorry. It was urgent, I promise, but unfortunately I need to stay here and wait for another call."  
  


Noora feels her skin tingling with the rising anger. "Mamma—"  
  


"I know, Noora. Your father keeps making new deals with the lawyer about our divorce. It annoys me just as much as it annoys you, I promise. But hey, there's a children's party in the main lodge tonight. You should go!" Ella chirps and Noora rolls her eyes.  
  


"Children's party?"  
  


"Young adults, Noora. I think it would be good for you to go and meet some people. I know moving from Madrid to Oslo was hard, love, but if we didn't move, we would have been stuck in that toxic environment with your father. You need to stop wallowing up here and go out and meet some people," her mother says and Noora looks down at her hands in her lap. All Noora can think about is how she wouldn't need to meet new people if she could have just stayed with her old friends.  
  


"Noora..." Ella starts, and Noora flinches when her mother reaches to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. "Please go. For me? I even laid out a nice outfit for you on the chair."  
  


Noora lets out a sigh, and then gives a shrug of defeat. "Fine, I'll go."  
  


Ella grins, clapping her hands together. "Perfect. Now, get dressed, and have some fun."  
  


Noora slips out from underneath the duvet, arms crossed as she looks at her mother. "Can I at least have my phone back?" Her mother laughs, nodding, handing out her phone to her and Noora takes it, managing a small and thankful smile. "Thanks, Mamma."

 

////

 

On the other side of the lodge there's a small gym, the smell of stirred up dust by the ventilation fans filling the room. It's small, but it still seems spacious due to just how empty it is despite the volleyball net in the middle of the court, stretching across in length. It's quiet with the exception of the shuttering of the fans and the occasional smacking sound of skin on leather and a grunt or two. It's warm, and Eva can feel it in her veins, her forehead shimmering with a layer of sweat and she continues practicing her spikes. Her skin is alive as she pants, blood rushing in her veins as she concentrates on the wall behind the other side of the net. She sets up, ready for another spike, and just as she throws up the ball, ready to take it down, her mother, Anne, walks in with a frown on her face.  
  


"Eva, did we seriously come here just for you to practice for volleyball?" Anne says and Eva shrugs, ignoring her mother as she goes to retrieve the volleyball from the other side.  
  


"The season is starting up soon, Mamma. I got to practice. It's now or never since I am captain," retorts Eva and she can hear her mother sigh, agitated.  
  


"It's the last night of vacation, Eva. Don't you want to make it memorable?"  
  


Eva turns to look at her mother then, raising an eyebrow. " _ Memorable _ ?"  
  


"It's New Years Eve!"  
  


"You already said that," Eva sasses and Anne shoots Eva a look.  
  


"Don't start with the attitude. I don't feel like putting up with it. It's New Years Eve, and everyone is welcoming in the New Year in the children's lounge with a nice party. I just thought you would like to go," Anne tells her and Eva groans, holding the volleyball to her hip.  
  


"I don't feel like spending my night in a children's lounge, thank you."  
  


" _ Teenagers _ , Eva. Teenagers will be there. It's in the Freestyle Club downstairs, you should go."  
  


"Mamma—" Eva whines, but Anne shakes her head.  
  


"No, you're going. Go change out of your spandex and dress in something nice."  
  


Eva rolls her eyes, shaking her head as she tosses the volleyball into the corner of the gym, strutting past her mother as she exits the gym before heading back to her room to change.

 

////

 

It takes Noora longer to get ready than Ella would have liked, but Noora knew she couldn't hide in her bedroom forever so she stuck it up, showing her outfit to her mother, getting a stamp of approval, and she heads out the door to the downstairs of the lodge  with her phone tucked away in a small clutch purse. As Noora arrives to the party, it's already buzzing, and seeing how things are going, she suspects that someone added too much sugar to the Hawaiian punch on the table near the spread of food. As she makes her way around the room, she finds balloons scattered on the floor, along with the remnants of a few popped ones and as she's busy glancing at her feet, she accidentally bumps into a few people, thankful that don't spill their red punch on her white dress shirt. The fairy lights light up the room as Noora finally finds an empty spot on a love seat, her ears filling with a terrible voice that is way off key and when she glances up, she finds a few people on a stage singing along to karaoke.  
  


Noora grimaces at the sounds around her, pulling her phone out from her purse and turning it on, averting her attention back to Facebook, avoiding everyone around her.  
  


Meanwhile, at another entrance on the other side of the room, Eva is stepping into the party, her auburn hair flowing down behind her back despite it being a tight bun earlier. Eva feels vulnerable in her outfit as she finds everyone else in jeans and a t-shirt while she's dressed in a black skirt, slim tights, and a tank top. Eva keeps her eyes low as she makes her way around the room, feeling self-conscious as always, and tries to find a nice spot to sit and hide away.  
  


Eva jumps, startled, as she hears a loud booming voice over the speakers and she finds herself averting her eyes to a stage in the middle of the room, two microphone stands on either side, and a screen of karaoke songs behind the person on the stage. Eva watches as a couple walks off the stage, smiling at laughing as they give each other a high five as the announcer begins to speak.  
  


"Not too shabby for just a couple of snowboarders," the man says and everyone cheers. "Who's going to blow the roof of this place next, huh? Let's bring the spotlights back out!"  
  


Eva feels her heart skip a few beats as she watches the white light scour the room, looking for their next victim, and her heart almost stops as she finds the blinding and hot light on her.  
  


A few feet away, Noora squints and looks up from her phone and towards the crowd and the stage. She's instantly surrounded by the young teenagers who are cheering and hooting at her, lifting her up from her seat and ushering her towards the stage.  
  


Eva is pulled up from her seat as well despite her protests.  
  


"Seriously? Please, I don't sing—!" Eva cries but no one listens over the loud cheering. "No. No, no, no. I  _ cannot  _ sing! I can't!"  
  


As Eva is being pushed towards the stage, Noora finds herself in the same position, being forced against her will up onto the stage. Both of the girls are dumbfounded, staring out into the crowd from the stage. The announcer grins cheekily as he comes up from behind both of them, placing his microphone into the mic holder in front of Eva.  
  


"Well, well, well," he says, chuckling to himself. "Good luck. Hey, one day you two might thank me for this or something. Have fun!"  
  


Eva and Noora feel the tension in the room as the guy retreats down from the stage, leaving them alone, standing side by side, not saying a word. Noora hugs her arms around herself, keeping her gaze low, and Eva finds herself feeling more awkward due to her stance on the stage. It's a quiet and awkward silence until they finally begin to hear the piano start, signalling the song beginning, and Eva lets out a huff as she grips at the microphone stand. She watches the teleprompter intently, the lyrics right there in front of her, and she lets the words flow out of her mouth.

 

_ Living in my own world _

 

_ Didn’t understand _

 

_ That anything can happen _

 

_ When you take a chance _

 

Eva feels herself shaking as the crowd lets out low cheers of encouragement. Her voice sounds monotone, and Eva knows she needs to pick up the mood a little bit for the sake of her and the stranger beside her. Eva can feel all eyes on them now, her voice eliciting more people to avert their attention to the stage. Eva's shoulders begin to feel heavy with pressure, and as she turns away to leave, Noora finally picks up her head to look at the girl beside her. Noora's eyes go wide as she watches the girl leave, and she swallows hard as her lines soon light up the teleprompter and she tries her best to belt them out to get the strange girl's attention.

 

_ I never believed in _

 

_ What I couldn’t see _

 

_ I never opened my heart _

 

_ To all the possibilities _

 

Noora lets out a deep breath as she lets out her lines, and it doesn't seem too bad for the time being and she watches as the stranger turns to look at her, intrigued, as she takes her place back at her microphone stand.

 

_ I know _

 

_ That something has changed _

 

_ Never felt this way _

 

_ And right here tonight _

 

Noora manages a smile as she glances at the girl beside her who already has her eyes on her and Eva glances away, the feeling of a blush rising in her cheeks as they continue on with their lyrics.

 

_ This could be the start _

 

_ Of something new _

 

_ It feels so right _

 

_ To be here with you _

 

When Eva turns back to look at Noora, she finds the girl laughing, her blueish grayish eyes sparkling with excitement as she looks at Eva, her red tainted lips breaking into a huge grin and Eva can't fight back her shy smile.

 

_ And now _

 

_ Looking in your eyes _

 

_ I feel in my heart _

 

_ The start of something new _

 

Eva feels a surge of confidence as she begins to dance along with the beat, her flowing hair swirling around as she twirls before she grabs the microphone.

 

_ Now who’d have ever thought that _

 

_ We’d both be here tonight _

 

Noora watches Eva with fascination, watching her dance on the tiny stage, as she belts out the lyrics of her part.

 

_ And the world looks so much brighter _

 

_ With you by my side _

 

Now they're both looking at each other, smiling, singing along to the song in harmony and the air in the room feels less tense and they both feel more comfortable to move around the stage, integrating themselves into the rhythm of the song.

 

_ I know _

 

_ That something has changed _

 

_ Never felt this way _

 

_ I know it for real _

 

_ This could be the start _

 

_ Of something new _

 

Neither of the girls break the eye contact as they continue the song, their smiles contagious and both Noora and Eva are ignoring the cheering and clapping crowd that has gathered around the stage.

 

_ It feels so right _

 

_ To be here with you _

 

_ And now _

 

_ Looking in your eyes _

 

_ I feel in my heart _

 

_ The start of something new _

 

Eva sways her hair back and out of her way as she takes the microphone out of its slot, facing Noora as she begins her lines, throwing her head back as she sings out the lyrics and Noora can't help but let out a tiny laugh.

 

_ I never knew that it could happen _

 

_ Till it happened to me _

 

Eva steps forward towards Noora by a few steps, and Noora is too busy focusing on Eva's eyes to be paying attention.

 

_ I didn’t know it before _

 

_ But now it’s easy to see _

 

The crowd is going crazy before them, cheering them on, their chemistry on stage filling the room with electric shocks.

 

_ It’s the start _

 

_ Of something new _

 

_ It feels so right _

 

_ To be here with you _

 

Noora steps closer to Eva now, closing the small space between them.

 

_ And now _

 

_ Looking in your eyes _

 

_ I feel in my heart _

 

_ That it’s the start _

 

_ Of something new _

 

Eva follows her actions, stepping towards Noora, causing her to walk backwards on the stage as they continue singing and Noora feels her heel slip a bit over the edge before she feels people hoisting her back up onto the stage and she regains her balance, a rosy tint blush filling her cheeks and she finds herself pushed into Eva's arms and they're both giggling, trying to keep their composure as they sing.

 

_ It feels so right _

 

_ To be here with you _

 

_ And now looking in your eyes _

 

_ I feel in my heart _

 

_ The start of something new _

 

Noora finds herself looping an arm around Eva's neck, steadying herself, as Eva's hand finds its way to her hip, keeping her balance and just like that in a split second, it's just them, on the stage, holding each other as the melody fades out and the song ends. They stay in their position for a while, quietly panting as they keep their eyes locked on each others but soon the crowd is invading with their loud cheers and they pull away from each other, smiling sheepishly, and Noora feels a pinch of disappointment as Eva lets her go.    
  


As Eva tucks her hair behind her ear, the blonde bob haired girl clears her throat and Eva turns to face her and finds that her hand is extended towards her. "I'm Noora," she says, and Eva smiles as she takes the girls hand in her own, shaking it.  
  


"Eva," she responds and Noora smiles.  
  


"Join me outside for some hot chocolate?" The girl— Noora— offers and Eva grins.  
  


"Sure."

 

////

 

"Do you sing a lot?" Eva asks as they walk outside to the balcony of the lodge, steaming mugs of hot chocolate in their hands and Noora lets out a laugh, shaking her head. "You're an amazing singer!"  
  


"The only time I would sing is during school musicals, that's it. However, I did have a solo at some point but I ended up fainting in front of everyone. That was the end of my solo career."  
  


Eva giggles, smiling. "Why did you faint?"  
  


"Way too many people staring at me."  
  


"The way you sang tonight in front of that crowd makes that story hard to believe, Noora," Eva counters and Noora smiles.  
  


"To be honest, that was the first time I ever did something like that. It wasn't too bad," says Noora and Eva nods, understanding. "You sound like you've sung a lot, too."  
  


Eva shrugs. "If singing in my shower can make me into a celebrity, I'm all ears."  
  


Noora and Eva laugh, taking a sip from their hot chocolate as the crowd begins to countdown the time from midnight, waiting for the fireworks to light up the sky. It's quiet between the two as everyone continues the countdown, and soon the sky is filled with the bright lights of fireworks going off to signal the new year. Noora averts her eyes from the sky to Eva, who's gazing up to the sky above them, the fireworks glistening in her eyes and Noora watches her, her gaze soft, and she finds herself inching closer to Eva. Eva breaks into a grin, her eyes wide with amazement as she turns to look over at Noora. Her stomach flutters with nerves as she notices the space between them, their eyes locking for a split second before Eva turns away again.  
  


Eva coughs awkwardly. "I guess I should go find my Mamma and wish her a happy new year, huh?"  
  


"I guess I should find my mom and do the same," Noora replies and Eva smiles. "Hey, uh... can I have your number? To text you, or something?" Noora asks, pulling her phone from her pocket.  
  


"Fuck, I don't have my phone with me. I can try and find you on Facebook or something?" says Eva and Noora feels a ping of sadness in her chest.  
  


"Sure, Facebook will work. My last name is Sætre, just so you know. So you can find me easier."  
  


"Great! I'll message you or something?"  
  


Noora grins. "Sounds like a plan!" Noora glances down, sliding her phone back into her jeans pocket. "Singing with you has been the most fun I've had on this trip," Noora admits, laughing. "Where do you—" as Noora looks up, she finds Eva gone and she frowns, "—live." Noora sighs, slightly upset as she grips her mug in her hands. What a great New Year.


	2. What Team?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eva finds Noora on Facebook, Noora attends her first day at Hartvig Nissen, and Eva and Noora reconnect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello welcome back to chapter 2 of this gay hot mess!!
> 
> shoutout to my babe sass for helping me sort out the last few characters xx ur the best
> 
> **psa, in this universe, BOYS PLAY VOLLEYBALL. also jonas doesnt rlly have a set character he's portraying, he's just jonas.
> 
> bye! enjoy!!

It's a Sunday morning when Eva and her mom finally return home from the airport from their ski lodge trip. She heads down the stairs to her room, discarding her travel bags on the bedroom floor before she plops herself onto her bed, grabbing her laptop from her bedside table. Eva yawns as she opens the laptop, turning it on, waiting for the home screen to pop up. She enters her password, the sound of the keyboard filling her room as she gains access to her laptop. Eva opens the web browser, her Facebook opening up immediately, filled with pictures and new status updates from her friends.

Eva is gnawing at her bottom lip as she drags the cursor to the search bar at the top of the Facebook webpage, entering in a name.

_Noora Sætre._

Eva hits enter, and finds a few profiles showing up. She scrolls down a bit, and after passing a few profiles, she finally finds the one she's been looking for. Blonde-hair bob style, blueish gray eyes, and a signature red lip look. She clicks on the profile, opening her timeline, and Eva clicks on her profile picture, opening a profile of other past pictures. She comes across a picture where Noora has long hair, and Eva feels amazed. 

Eva lets out a deep sigh as she opens a new Facebook message with Noora, thinking of something she could say.

_Hi, it's Eva. Glad I was able to find your Facebook. I promise I'm not a stalker._

Nope. Eva deleted the sentence.

_Hello! I hope you remember me from the ski lodge, otherwise this is weird. I'm Eva._

Nah, it's not going to work. Eva sighs as she continues pressing a delete button, and before she can finally delete the 'H', she accidentally twitches her finger over the enter button, sending the message. Eva's heart drops, staring at her computer screen with wide eyes. 

"Fuck," Eva mumbles, typing out a quick excuse.

_Sorry, I meant hi._

Sent. Eva breathes a sigh of relief, but soon her hopes drop as she reads:

_Read, 9.47 a.m._

 

////

 

As Eva finds herself stepping off the tram and walking down the street to the school yard, she finds herself in the familiar swarm of unrecognizable faces even though she's sure that half of the student body at Hartvig Nissen know about her past mistakes while she was on the junior varsity volleyball team. It makes Eva cringe at the thought, the whole cheating with Penetrator Chris while he was in a relationship with some girl named Iben, who just so happened to take it upon herself to spread the word "slut" everywhere Eva would go. Eva feels an awkward tension as she continues to walk towards the school yard, adjusting her burgundy beanie a top her head.

Eva finds herself drifting to a bench where she finds Isak already sitting comfortably, laughing at some cute guy's joke and as she approaches, Isak smiles, averting his attention to Eva.

"Hi, Eva!" Isak beams, and Eva returns the smile as best she can. She takes a spot beside him as he scoots closer. "How are you doing? How was break?"

Eva answers him in a shrug and quiet hum. "I'm fine, I guess. Break was pretty boring. I spent most of the time practicing."

Isak scoffs, cocking a teasing eyebrow. " _You_ spent break practicing for something that doesn't even make you happy anymore?"

Eva shrugs him off again, avoiding his gaze. "It still makes me happy, Isak. I have you on the team, remember? I guess Magnus and Mahdi make it fun, too."

"You're the one who made me kick Ingrid and Sara off the team because I was co-captain and you didn't have the guts to do it, and you barely let Magnus and Mahdi actually play in our tournaments." Isak reminds her and Eva's skin boils, her agitation building.

"Why don't you just shut up and let it fucking go, Isak? Happy New Year, asshole--"

"Eva, wait--" Isak pleads, grabbing onto her jacket sleeve. "I'm sorry. It's a happy _Ville Katter_ year, remember?" Isak gives her an encouraging smile, and Eva just rolls her eyes. "In two weeks, since you are now captain, you're going to be bringing us into the championship and into infinity and beyond."

Eva manages a small smile at that, shaking her head. "You're sometimes unbelievable, Isak."

"Hey!" Isak stops her again before she gets up from the bench. "What team?" At this, Magnus and Mahdi come strolling through the courtyard towards them, as if the 'what team' saying is some kind of summons.

Eva laughs this time, raising a fist in the air as she and the guys cheer in unison. "Ville Katter!"

Magnus and Mahdi let out a whoop as they all head into the school, first bell beginning to ring.  As they walk into the main hall, they find themselves on opposite sides of the hallway, making way for the one and only Vilde Lien Hellerud who is joined by none other than Even Bech Næsheim, her step-brother, who also in other words could be known as her personal assistant.

Or slave.

Just depends on how you look at it, Eva supposes.

"Looks like Princess Elsa has returned from Arendelle," Mahdi jeers, watching with careful eyes as Vilde walks past them all, her blonde hair flowing behind her as she rushes down the hallway, Even keeping in steady pursuit from his long legs. As Vilde passes Eva, she throws the girl a wink, and Eva feels her cheeks heat up immediately which earns a few chuckles from the guys. "You know, she probably spent break the way she always does."

Eva raises an eyebrow in question, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "And just how does she spend her break?"

Mahdi grins mischievously. "Shopping for mirrors, of course."

Isak swats him on his shoulder as Magnus laughs. Jonas arrives to the group then, throwing an arm around Isak's shoulders. "What's so funny? Did Magnus tell you his story of the cat tongue lady he hooked up with over break?"

Eva groans in disgust, shaking her head as all the guys laugh, pointing at Magnus who is frowning. "I swear, guys. It was a fucking cat tongue."

Eva turns her head, beginning to walk off as Jonas calls after her. "Hey! Where are you going?"

Eva whips her head back, a slight scowl on her face. It's sad that Jonas couldn't see Eva's distaste for him. "I need to head to Spanish, if you don't mind."

Jonas shrugs, waving a dismissive hand as Eva takes this as a queue to finally leave and head to her first class of the day. As she walks down the hall, she brushes shoulders with someone. Eva's seen her around -- she's sure that _everyone_ has seen her around -- Sana Bakkoush, black outfit, hijab and all, backup slung over her shoulder. As she passes, Eva can hear her mutter under her breath and she guesses she must be talking about the Isak and the boys.

"Behold the zoo animals heralding in the New Year. It's a ritual, I swear, and I will never understand it," Sana mutters to a group of science nerds who are behind her, almost soaking in every word she says.

 _So much for trying to learn for yourself_ , Eva thinks.

 

////

 

It's about 10 minutes before first period when Noora walks in, her mother at her side, busy on the phone. The principal is going on and on about her _extravagant_ grades from when she was enrolled in a school in Madrid, but it seems neither of them are listening. They're heading to her first class already -- Spanish -- which should be a breeze for Noora, but she finds her stomach knotting as she roams the halls with her mother and the principal. Finally, they arrive, and as Noora peeks through the small window on the door, she finds a few students already in their seats.

"Mamma, can we maybe wait--"

Ella stops her, shaking her head as she shoves her phone back into her purse. "No, Noora. No more waiting, no more putting it off."

"But my stomach--" Noora whines but her mother tsk's in disapproval.

"You're not sick, Noora. Just nervous. It's your first day," she offers an encouraging smile, which Noora doesn't return. "You'll do great."

"No worries, Noora. I've read over your transcripts and I believe your light will shine very brightly here at Hartvig Nissen," the principal chips in with her thoughts, and Noora bites her lip.

"I just don't want to be thought of as the school transfer freak," Noora pleads and her mother smiles softly.

"You won't be. Just be you, okay?"

Noora manages to send her mother off with a smile as she enters her Spanish class, finding a seat near a window. She sits in silence for a few minutes, but is soon joined by a too over-confident first year who is flashing her a very wide smile of pride. He greets her, his voice chirping, and Noora scrunches up her nose in distaste.

She was never one to fall for a guy, anyway.

 

////

 

The classroom begins to buzz with activity as students file in, finding their seats, laughing and chatting among themselves. Eva walks in behind a few other students, quickly finding a seat, setting her school bag on the floor beside her chair. As she glances around, she notices a familiar blonde-bob hairstyle, cupped light blue jeans, a black coat covering the girl. Eva swallows, and as soon as the girl turns her head, Eva feels her heart pick up speed.

 _There's no way,_ Eva thinks, her gaze glued to the girl and she finds her standing and heading towards her table, causing Eva to blink a few times as she sits.

"Noora," Eva says, testing the name on her tongue, and the girl smiles.

"Hi, Eva. Or should I say 'H'?" Noora giggles. "Nice to see you again," Noora replies, slipping off her coat to reveal a red top underneath. She flashes her a smile, her red lips making her white teeth shine. Eva smiles shyly, mesmerized. _How the fuck could her karaoke buddy just suddenly come to attend her school?_

"Uh, nice to see you too," Eva manages and Noora laughs quietly. "I didn't know we, uh, went to school together? Let alone had Spanish together?"

Noora's smile widens. "We don't. Well, we didn't. I just transferred here." Eva nods, letting out a small _ooh_ in response. "If I did attend school here before the whole karaoke charade, would you have recognized me?"

Eva bites her lip in thought, shrugging. "Probably not."

"Do you not talk to people or something?" Eva shrugs again. "Why not?"

Eva sighs, meeting Noora's eyes. "Strong body odor."

Noora and Eva laugh together as the teacher walks into the classroom, greeting them. "What class do you have next?" Noora whispers and Eva smiles.

"Drama. You?"

Noora grins. "Me too."

"Perfect!"

 

////

 

As Noora and Eva walk into the drama and theatre room together, they're greeted by a loud clap of hands by the teacher, Mr. Eskild Tryggvason, but according to Eskild, his last name just doesn't exist because everyone just calls him Eskild. Eva takes her seat in the front while Noora drifts to the back of the room, sitting quietly as Eskild clears his throat. 

"Please, everyone. Sit down, sit down. I trust you all had a wonderful break," he announces, sporting a smile. The chatter dies down in the classroom, and Eskild continues. "Check out the new sign-up sheets, fresh off the press this morning, in the lobby for new activities! Especially the wonderful winter musicale!" Eskild continues smoothly, his voice reaching a new pitch. "We will be having singles and couples auditions during free period for supporting roles _and_ leads!"

Eva glances around the room and finds Vilde smirking, nails tapping on her desk as Even is leaning back in his desk, long legs stretched out, clearly not amused by his step-sisters actions. Eskild clear his throat again, looking down at his clipboard, flipping through sheets to find out the agenda of the day. Eva takes this time to pull out her phone as Eskild begins to speak up again. "For anyone interested, there is also a sign-up sheet for the scholastic decathlon team. The Chem Club president, Sana Bakkoush, can answer any questions you have about that."

Sana grins as Eskild points a finger to her, acknowledging the gesture. All the while, Eva is scrolling through her Messenger app, trying to find her messages with Noora. She opens the messages, and is about to close it out before she accidentally presses the thumbs up sticker button, sending it, and when the small _ding_ notification sound goes off, her stomach flips. _Not again._ Eva turns and finds Noora fishing her phone out of her bag, and Eskild lets out a sigh.

"I see the phone menace has returned to our nice little space of learning!" Eskild hums, slightly amused but slightly agitated. He ducks behind his desk and pulls out a bucket, waving it happily. A few seats beside Eva, she hears Vilde mumbling to Even.

"Is it our phone?" Vilde whispers harshly, phone in hand, and Even just shrugs. He leans down however, pulling his phone out of his bag as well and when he sits back up, Eskild holds out the bucket to both of them.

"Phones! Now!" Eskild barks, and Vilde and Even slip their phones into the bucket, Vilde with a slight snarl on her face. "I will also see you in detention."

Vilde scoffs, rolling her eyes as Even just sits back, crossing his arms in front of his chest as Eskild continues to prowl the room looking for his next cell phone victim. He approaches Noora, and Eva feels guilt flow through her veins as Noora looks up at him innocently, cell phone in hand. Eskild smiles. "We have a zero tolerance policy for cell phones in class, Ms. Sætre, so I believe that we well get to know each other in _detention._ Welcome to Hartvig Nissen."

Eva frowns, mouthing a _sorry_ to Noora as Eskild makes his way to her desk. "I see your phone is involved as well, Ms. Mohn," Eskild announces and Eva is quick to slip her phone into the bucket, along with the others. "I will be seeing _you_ in detention as well."

Isak stutters behind Eva, at a loss for words. "That's not even possible, Your Honor," Isak rushes, stumbling over his words. "Eva is captain of the volleyball team, and we have practice, so--"

Eskild rolls his eyes. "I guess that will be fifteen minutes for you as well, Valtersen. Count 'em!"

Sana is quick to whisper a sneer. "That might be a little tough for Isak because I don't think he can count that high. I have him in Biology."

"Sana! That will be fifteen minutes for you!" Eskild exclaims, and Sana's mouth drops open in shock. Sana just falls back, accepting the punishment, and Eva can almost feel everyone's eyes on her. Eskild slams the bucket right on top of Eva's desk, causing her to flinch. "Will this little chaotic charade continue? Break is _over_ , and far, far over. It's time to _focus._ Now, any questions?"

The room is dead quiet as Eskild scans the room with his piercing eyes. However, Magnus in the back of the room raises his hand slowly and Eskild sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yes, Magnus?"

Magnus swallows hard. "How were your holidays, Eskild?"

Everyone in the classroom groans, a few laying their heads on their desks, highly annoyed. Fortunately, before Eskild can get into the story of his life, the bell rings, and everyone is quick to rush out of the room. Isak is on Eva's heels as she stays behind at the door, and Isak gives her a questioning look. "Why are you waiting?"

Eva shrugs. "No reason."

"Well, only an hour back from break and we already got fucking detention. How lame is that?" Isak pouts, and Eva just nods, listening. "You're lucky that I got stuck in detention with you."

"Thanks, I guess," replies Eva and Isak raises an eyebrow.

"I'm going to head to my locker. Have fun with... whatever you're doing," says Isak and Eva gives him a wave as he walks off. Finally, Eva spots Noora walking out of the classroom and she stops her with a slight tug on her arm.

"Hey," Eva whispers, smiling. "Liking things so far?"

Noora nods, returning her question in a whisper. "Yeah, it's pretty nice here."

"Good, I'm glad!" Eva whispers again, and as they begin to walk down the hallway, Noora raises an eyebrow.

"Why are we whispering?" she asks, her normal voice returning and Eva blushes, shrugging.

"I don't know," Eva laughs awkwardly. "I guess it's just that no one really knows about me singing karaoke."

Noora laughs. "Is that something to be ashamed of?"

"Well, no, I guess not. It's just that Isak and all them aren't ones for... singing."

"So? They're just men, who cares what they think?"

Eva shrugs. "I don't know," she mutters, letting out a sigh. "Anyway, welcome to Hartvig Nissen," Eva pipes up as they continue their walk down the hall towards the main lobby.

"You guys have lots of stuff going on here," Noora comments as she spots the activity sheet on the bulletin board.

"Well, now that you have met Eskild, I bet you're just _jumping_ at the opportunity to join the winter musical," Eva adds and Noora laughs, giving a shrug.

"I'm not going to be joining or signing up for anything for a long time. I just want to get to know the curriculum and stuff here. Maybe the spring musical? But hey, if you sign up right now, I might think about signing up," Noora teases and Eva rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, right. Not going to happen."

"What's not going to happen?" Someone asks from behind Eva, causing her to jump and as soon as she sees who it is, she blushes. _Vilde._ "It's so nice of you to show around the new student, Eva." Vilde manages a tight smile as she pulls a pen from her bag, leaning over Eva's shoulder to sign the winter musical sheet for lead role. It's a messy signature, but everyone will know whose it is. Vilde turns back to the girls. "Were you going to sign up too?"

Noora shakes her head. "Not this musical, I'm afraid."

Vilde pouts. "There's plenty of supporting roles. This musical could set the stage for your future social life here, and since you're new, this could help greatly. You're neither a third nor first year, you're just stuck in the middle. It's important to set the stage for your future."

Noora shrugs. "Not my thing, sorry. Nice penmanship, though," Noora adds before walking off in the opposite direction and Vilde just rolls her eyes, grunting in disapproval. Eva takes this time to escape an awkward conversation, but as she turns around, Vilde finds herself attached at Eva's hip.

"I missed you during break. What did you do?" Vilde asks, genuinely curious.

"Just practiced volleyball. Went skiing, all that jazz," Eva answers and Vilde grins.

"When is the next tournament?"

"Two weeks."

"Gosh, Eva. You are _so_ dedicated. Just like me!" Vilde chirps, and Eva manages a small smile. "Will you come and watch me in the show?"

Eva shrugs. "Maybe."

Vilde beams. "Great! See you later! Toodles!" Vilde waves as she begins to walk off, and Eva gives a half-hearted wave in her direction.

Eva feels relief as Vilde disappears around a corner, muscles relaxing, the tension releasing in the air.

So much for wanting to keep it on the down low.


	3. Getcha Head In The Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eva leads practice, Noora gets bombarded by the scholastic decathalon team in detention, and Eva and her mom have a chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Logan Tom & Sheilla Castro are professional volleyball players  
> **I had to change some of the lyrics for the song in this chapter, and hopefully they work out okay wifuerbfr  
> ***Sorry for such a long wait for this update, I'm on summer break now so hopefully I can update a lot more often :)
> 
> enjoy!

Despite Eva spending some of her time over break practicing for volleyball, she finds herself aching in just ten minutes of practice. Isak is beside Eva, stretching, barely breaking a sweat and Eva kind of envies him for a minute before she breaks the silence in the gym.

"So, you know that winter musical thing?" Eva asks, her voice timid as Isak raises an eyebrow, looking over at her as he fixes his posture, standing. Isak shoots her a look, but Eva keeps talking. "Do you get extra credit for just auditioning?" she asks, stretching down again to her toes.

Isak scoffs, shaking his head. "Who cares?" he replies, and Eva just sighs in response.

"Well, it's good to get extra credit. For university," Eva mentions and Isak rolls his eyes, pulling back his shoulders as he continues to stretch.

"Do you think that Logan Tom or Sheilla Castro auditioned for their school's musical?" Isak offers and Eva just shrugs.

"Maybe?"

"Look, Eva. The music in those shows are not hip-hop, or rock, or anything cultural. It's all... _show music._ Costumes, makeup, _scripts,_ " Isak shudders at the thought. "It's frightening." Eva frowns, her hopes deflating at Isak words, and he seems to notice as she begins to pout. "Why are you so interested in the musical anyway?"

Eva bites her lip, avoiding her best friends eyes. "I just thought it would be a good joke, you know?" she lies, but Isak seems to take it but Eva watches as Isak's lips curl up into a smirk.

"Does it have to deal with... a special someone?" Isak teases and Eva scoffs, shoving Isak on his shoulder as he laughs.

" _No,_ " Eva defends herself. "That's ridiculous."

"Not even for Vilde?" Eva throws Isak a look which makes him back off a bit, throwing his hands up in defense. "It was a joke, chill."

"It has nothing to deal with anyone, okay? God," Eva snaps, and Isak lets out a sigh. "No need to fucking interrogate me. We need to focus on practice right now."

 _Focus on practice, and not on the new girl. God, Eva, get your head in the game,_ Eva thinks to herself, shaking her head, trying to rid herself of any outside thoughts. The rest of the volleyball team has split on either side of the net, and Eva turns to face her team.

"Okay, Ville Katter, lets play a round. We need to focus on _spiking_. The only way to score a point is if the team is able to spike it, that's it. It may seem hard, but we can do this," Eva says, her confidence beginning to flow as her team nods, listening to her ideas. "Magnus, you serve. Rotations every two points."

Magnus sets up his stance, volleyball twirling in hand as he throws it up to serve, and as soon as the ball goes flying over the net, the teams set themselves into action.

 

_Coach said to_

_Move fast, dive low_

_Hit the ground hard and do a barrel role_

_Don't wanna run, give and go._

_Play some ball like a pro and put on a show._

 

Eva finds herself on the team opposite to Magnus and Isak, found in the back of the team with Mahdi, along with Jonas who Eva would admit is good at saving the ball and getting it back over the net. Eva watches both the teams, along with Jonas and Mahdi, watching their every move and their eyes as they watch the volleyball's every move, and he's ready to lunge forward and save one for the team. Eva feels pride in her team, seeing the determination in their faces as they play their practice round.

  
  
_Uh, just keep ya head in the game_

 _Uh, just keep ya head in the game_  
  
_And don't be afraid to save the ball today, just keep your head in the game_.

 

Eva feels startled as she hears her name being called, and she's quick to act as the volleyball flies towards her from the other side of the net. She sucks in a deep breath, saving the ball as she sends it flying back to the other team, her heart jumping in her chest as her team sends her glaring looks.

  
  
_You gotta get'cha, get'cha head in the game_  
  
_We gotta get-a, get-a, get-a, get ahead in the game_  
  
_You gotta get'cha, get'cha head in the game_  
  
_We gotta get-a, get-a, get-a, get ahead in the game_  
  
_Come on! Get'cha, get'cha head in the game_  
  
_We gotta get-a, get-a, get-a, get ahead in the game_  
  
_You gotta get'cha (get-a), get'cha (get-a) head in the game_  
  
_We gotta get-a, get-a, get-a, get ahead in the game_  
  
_Woo!_

 

The first two spikes are made, giving two points to the opposing team as they rotate their positions. Eva finds herself in the middle of the team, set and ready behind those at the front of the net.

  
  
_Let's make sure that we get the spike now_  
  
_Cause when we get it the crowd will go wild_  
  
_A second chance, gotta serve it and go_  
  
_Maybe this time we'll hit the right notes_

 

Eva pauses, thinking to herself for a minute, her cheeks flushed and strings of hair askew from her head as she puts her hands on her hips, mentally kicking herself as she finds herself in the midst of a practice crisis.

  
  
_Wait a minute—not the time and place_  
  
_Wait a minute—get my head in the game_  
  
_Wait a minute—get my head in the game_  
  
_Wait a minute (get'cha head in the game)_

 

Eva lets out a sigh, running her hands over her hair, smoothing down some of the strands as she takes in a few deep breaths, collecting herself.

  
  
_Wait a minute_

 

Eva shakes off the alien feeling, returning back to the game as it's her turn to serve. She's sets herself, bouncing the volleyball a few times on the gym floor, breathing in deep through her nose as she throws it up, meeting the ball with her hand as she serves it and sends it to the team on the other side of the night. She beams, proud of herself, as the other team scrambles to save the ball before Eva's team is awarded a point.

  
  
_I gotta get my, get my head in the game_  
  
_You gotta get'cha, get'cha, get'cha, get'cha head in the game_  
  
_I gotta get my, get my head in the game_  
  
_You gotta get'cha, get'cha, get'cha, get'cha head in the game_  
  
_Come on! Get my, get my head in the game_  
  
_You gotta get'cha, get'cha, get'cha, get'cha head in the game_  
  
_I gotta get my, get my head in the game_  
  
_You gotta get'cha, get'cha, get'cha, get'cha head in the game_

 

As Eva dives to save the ball from hitting the ground, she trips on her own two feet, falling face first onto the gym floor, the volleyball meeting the floor next to her, awarding the opposing team yet another point. Eva grunts, angered with herself as she stands, running her hands over her hair once again, making fists in her hair as she tries to control her frustration.

  
  
_Why am I feeling so wrong?_  
  
_My head's in the game_  
  
_But my heart's in the song_  
  
_She makes this feel so right_

 

Eva pauses. _She_. She, she, she. She who? Noora? Eva finds her mind in a scramble of thoughts as she whispers to herself, her team still playing the practice round around her, oblivious to her revelation.  
  
"Should I go for it? Better shake this, yikes!"

  
  
_I gotta get my, get my head in the game_  
  
_You gotta get'cha, get'cha, get'cha, get'cha head in the game_  
  
_I gotta get my, get my head in the game_  
  
_You gotta get'cha, get'cha, get'cha, get'cha head in the game_  
  
_Come on! Get my, get my head in the game_  
  
_You gotta get'cha, get'cha, get'cha, get'cha head in the game_  
  
_I gotta get my, get my head in the game_  
  
_You gotta get'cha, get'cha, get'cha, get'cha head in the game_

 

Eva collects herself, cracking her knuckles as she squats down a bit in front of the net, ready to take down the next serve from the other side. It's up and over, and Eva is just able to jump high enough to hit the ball with the palm of her hand, sending it directly towards the floor, spiking it, giving her team the final and winning point of practice. The team erupts into cheers as the spike lands, and the opposing team groans in defeat as the whoops and hollers begin.

"What team?!" Jonas shouts, and the winning team is quick to respond.

" _Ville Katter!_ "

" _What team?!"_ Jonas roars again, and the team cheers.

" _Ville Katter!_ "

" _Ville Katter! Get your head in the game!_ "

Eva stands in the emptying gym as her team exits towards the locker rooms, showering and changing into their normal clothes for their next class. She feels frozen, a bit lost in the vacant and quiet gym as her breathing begins to slow, skin warm and tingling with practice. As she turns to walk out to the locker rooms, she finds the volleyball down at her feet. She sighs, picking up the left behind ball, holding it in her hands as she turns back towards the net, serving it up and swinging her arm to meet her hand with the ball, serving it over the net. Eva turns once again, walking across the creaking gym floor boards as she hears the volleyball hit the floor. She sighs, walking into the locker rooms, her thoughts disheveled.

 

////

 

Meanwhile, in the science labs a few hallways down from the gym, Noora's busy filling out a worksheet for her Chem class. Vilde is in the desk next to her, not so subtly copying a few of Noora's answers onto her own worksheet. When Noora pops her head up to look at the board, Vilde quickly averts her gaze to her desk. Noora raises an eyebrow, watching as the teacher fills the equation on the board. Vilde clears her throat, leaning her chin on her hand, looking at Noora.

"So!" Vilde chirps, drawing Noora's attention. "You know Eva Kviig Mohn?" she asks, and Noora nods. "How?"

"She was just showing me around the school," Noora replies, her answer curt as she turns back to the board and her worksheet.

"Well," Vilde begins, and Noora lets out an annoyed sigh as she turns back to look at Vilde. "Eva doesn't really interact with _new_ students," Vilde smiles evilly as she watches Noora's lips turn down into a small frown.

" _Oh?_ Why's that?"

Vilde smirks. "It's pretty much just volleyball with her 24/7."

Noora's attention has already gone back to the board, ignoring Vilde's words as she watches the teacher finish the equation, stepping away from her work. "That should be sixteen over pi," Noora mutters under her breath.

"What's that, Ms. Sætre?" The teacher, Elle, asks and Noora bites her lip, twirling her pen in between her fingers.

"Sorry, but shouldn't the equation read sixteen over pi?"

Elle scoffs, shaking her head as she turns toward her book. "Sixteen over pi? That can't be correct," she tells her, but as she flips through her book, she raises her eyebrows. "Never mind," she says again, erasing the equation and replacing the missing components as Noora smiles to herself, feeling pleased as she continues on with her worksheet. However, Vilde is not impressed, giving her a disgusted look as she turns to her own worksheet.

 

////

 

As Eva finally leaves the locker room, she finds herself wandering into the hallways, mingling within the students as she makes her way to the announcements board. The musical sign up sheet is the same, with only one signup for the pairs audition, leaving little room for anyone else to sign thanks to Vilde's messy cursive handwriting. Eva nibbles at her bottom lip as she finds the date for the auditions. She takes mental note of the date and time before walking off to her next class, and as she walks away, Even steps out from behind the message board, watching Eva walk away. Vilde struts past then and Even grabs her arm, pulling her towards him.

"Eva Kviig Mohn was just looking at _our_ audition list," Even informs her in a low voice and Vilde grunts in disgust.

"That's the second time today. The first time she was with that new girl, Noora. She's pretty and all, but there's just _something_ about her that I don't like," Vilde snarls. "Do you remember where Noora said she was from?"

Even doesn't respond, just shrugs and Vilde stomps her foot in impatience as she walks off towards the library. Even is startled with the sound of her heels walking off and he's quick to follow her. As Vilde enters the library, she finds the nearest computer and quickly opens up the search engine, typing in just a few words.

 _Noora Amalie Sætre_.

Vilde smiles, pleased, as hundreds of results fill the page. Facebook, Instagram, and... a webpage to Torrejon High School in Madrid, Spain. She raises an eyebrow as she clicks the link to the high school webpage, the heading reading: " _Whizkid Noora Sætre Leads Decathlon Team To Victory"_.

"Wow," Even mumbles under his breath. "So she's like an Einstein? Why would she be interested in our school musical?"

Vilde shrugs. "I'm not so sure that she is. Besides, she's just an amateur. We don't need to worry about those," Vilde grins, finding the print icon in the upper left of the webpage, clicking it. "However, there's no harm in making sure that Noora is welcome in our school activities," Vilde stands from the computer then, heading over to the printer with Even following her, grabbing the sheets she printed. "She just needs to make sure she stays in her lane and finds activities that suit her fancy. After all, she _loves_ pi."

 

////

 

Eva hates that detention is held in the auditorium and that anyone in detention is required to help build the sets for the musical. She'd rather be studying up on her Spanish than painting a tree. To top it all off with an overly-sweet cherry, Eskild is there merrily watching over the sulking children. From taking out costumes from storage to transporting huge paint canisters across the stage, it's pretty heavy duty stuff. Thankfully, Eva is stuck in a fake tree with Isak, painting the leaves, with Eskild passing back and fourth underneath them, watching carefully. Isak has doze off, and Eskild is quick to clap his hands together loudly, startling Isak awake.

"Let's get a move on, Valtersen! Paint!" Eskild orders, walking off as Isak rolls his eyes, moving his paintbrush slowly. Eva stifles a laugh as she finds Noora down on the stage, painting an ocean wave and she smiles, catching Noora's eye. Eva gives her a wink before turning back to stapling leaves onto the tree, and Noora feels a blush creep into her cheeks. She continues to paint her ocean wave quietly, and a few minutes go by when she's startled out of her work, finding Sana Bakkoush standing by her side.

"The answer is _yes!_ " Sana beams, but Noora raises an eyebrow in question.

"What?" She asks, dumbfounded.

One of the followers step from behind Sana, smiling. "I'm Argentina, and our scholastic decathlon team has its first competition next week and there is a special spot just for you," she informs, and Noora feels horrified as she finds a paper in Sana's hand, showing her picture.

"Where did you get that?" Noora whispers, fear creeping in.

Sana raises an eyebrow, looking down at the sheet in her hand. "This?" She holds up the paper to Noora's face, and just the sight of her on that flyer with the award makes her shiver. "I found it in my locker. I thought you put it in there?"

Noora shakes her head. "Absolutely not."

Sana frowns. "Oh," she looks over at Argentina, who gives her a shrug. "Well, anyway. You're more than welcome to join our team if you want. We meet almost every day after school."

As Sana finishes, Argentina pops in. "Please?"

Noora shakes her head again, her hands shaking a bit with nerves. "I need to learn and catch up about the curriculum here before I can even think about joining any clubs," she excuses, and she can see the whole team pout. "I'm sorry, but--"

"But that's such a good way to catch up, Noora!" Vilde's voice comes from behind as she approaches the group, Even following behind. "Surely, these kiddos here can catch you up with the curriculum? Isn't that right, Sana?"

Sana gives a tight smile as she turns to look at Vilde. She turns to Argentina, rolling her eyes, before turning her attention back to Noora. Just as Sana is about to say something, Eskild chirps in, smiling. "So many new faces in detention today! I really hope you all don't make this into a habit, because I have much better things to do than look after children, but the theater could always use the extra helping hands," Eskild scrunches up his nose as he folds his hands together. "Now, as we all continue to work, let's talk about the never-ending issue with _cellphones_."

 

////

 

All while Eskild is droning on and on about the use of cell phones, the coach -- Mari -- is leading with today's practice.

"Alright, you guys. We have just a few weeks until the tournament," Mari starts, looking around at the team but she notices she's a few players short -- and she's missing the captain. "Where's Eva and Isak?" She asks, but no one steps forward with an answer. "Don't make me ask again," she warns, but still no one offers up a reply. "Where's Eva and Isak?!"

"Detention," the team mumbles, and Mari lets out a harsh sigh. She hands over the practice routine of the day to Jonas before heading out of the gym and towards the auditorium and she's ready to pick a bone with Eskild as she marches through the doors of the auditorium, interrupting Eskild's speech of cell phones in the theater.

"What did you do with my team, Tryggvason?" Mari demands. "What the hell are Eva and Isak doing in a tree?" Eva shakes Isak's shoulder, gesturing to their coach who's just a few feet away from the stage and Isak mumbles 'fuck' before they drop down out of the tree. "You two. In the gym. _Now._ "

As Eva and Isak leap off the stage and run off towards the exit, Eskild has both of his hands on his hips, eye to eye with Mari. "It's called _crime_ and _punishment_ , Aspeflaten. Besides, working in the theater is cleansing for the soul."

Mari sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. "We need to talk. Now."

 

////

 

As Skrulle is leaning back in her desk chair, toying with her computer, both Eskild and Mari storm in, already bickering between each other. Skrulle is used to this whole charade, and decides to let it play out for a while, slightly amused.

"If they absolutely need to paint sets for detention, they can do it after school, _not_ during my practice!" Mari fires first, but Eskild scoffs.

“If these were theater performers instead of athletes, would you seek special treatment?" Eskild asks, sarcasm lacing in his question.

"Listen here, Tryggvason," Mari's voice drops low, and it sounds as if she's snarling. "We are just a few days away from our biggest tournament of the year!"

"And _we,_ Ms. Apseflaten, are in the midst of our auditions for our winter musical as well!"

"Enough! Both of you!" Skrulle shouts, drawing their attention. Mari crosses her arms as Eskild places his hands on his hips. "Listen. You’ve been having this argument since the day you both started working here. We are one school, one student body and _one faculty_. Can we not agree on that?” Skrulle questions, and Mari and Eskild just glare at each other, mumbling 'sure' in agreement. "Good," Skrulle replies, setting her arms into her lap. "So, Mari. Does Eva have the team whipped into shape yet?"

Eskild lets out an offended scoff before he stomps off and out of the office, and Mari tries her best to hold back a laugh as Skrulle just shakes her head.

 

////

 

When Mari re-enters the gym after her talk with Skrulle, she feels delighted that she isn't the only one who knows what's important at Hartvig Nissen. She finds Eva already leading the team in a practice game, and she smiles as she watches Eva control the team, coming back out on top despite her rough past with high school drama. She wipes her smile from her face, however, when Eva turns and spots her and grins, calling in the team as they head towards Mari.

Mari feels determination flooding through her veins as she addresses the team. "Elvebakken Cougars have forced us out of the tournaments for three years, and I think it's safe to say that we're all fed up. Now, we're just _one_ game away from taking the championship back from them. Remember, you are the team, and the team is you. The team does not exist if not everyone is on task and focused on one goal," she pauses, glancing around at her team who are watching her with wide eyes. "Do I make myself clear?"

Jonas steps forward then, shouting his reply. "What team?"

"Ville Katter!" Is the roared response as the team feels energy pulse through their veins. "Get your head in the game!"

With a prideful grin, Mari blows the whistle, and with that, the team disperses back to their side of the net.

////

 

Detention is let out an hour late due to the whole chaos between Mari and Eskild, and Noora is quick to leave the auditorium, Sana and Argentina following in close behind.  
  
"We've never, and I mean _never_ made it past the first round of the scholastic decathlon," Argentina informs her as they continue to walk through the hallways. "You could be the answer to our prayers!"

"Look, girls. It seems fun and all, but I think I just need to focus on my studies," Noora explains, and Sana crosses her arms. "Maybe next year?" Sana is beginning to say something as Noora continues to scour the halls looking for her locker, but she stops abruptly, almost causing Sana and Argentina to run into her. "What do you know about Eva Kviig Mohn?"

Sana raises a questioning eyebrow. "Eva?" Noora nods, and Sana hums in thought. "Well, I don't know much about her. But if you ask Sara and Ingrid, they have lots of drama regarding that girl. Unless you know how to speak dramatic teenage girl, then you won't know much."

"What?"

"As in," Sana steps a few feet in front of Noora, tapping Sara Nørstelien on her shoulder, causing the girl to look at her. "Oh, my God. Isn't Eva Kviig Mohn just the most dirty liar out there?" 

"Ugh, tell me about it," Sara groans, rolling her eyes as she walks away.

"See?" says Sana, turning back to Noora who looks disgusted.

"I'm not one for gossip _or_ insulting girls, sorry," Noora turns away but Sana stops her, grabbing her elbow.

"Hey! I didn't mean what I said about Eva. I have no idea what she did," she informs, covering up her comments. 

"Have you ever tried to talk to her at least?" Noora offers, and this time Argentina steps in.

"When I was part of the theater department, I tried to recruit her in but she wasn't fully into it. She's quiet and shy for the most part," Argentina tells Noora and the girl nods. 

"Just wait and see how it goes at lunch when she walks in, unless you want to hang out with the preppy girls and talk about nail beds and all that jazz," Sana pipes up and Noora looks down at her nails, which are painted a nice red.

"I think my nail beds are history," Noora laughs as Sana holds up her hands.

"We're like sisters!" Sana exclaims, smile beaming and Noora laughs a little more, and just for a split second she thinks that it might not be so bad here at Hartvig Nissen. 

 

////

 

School is long over, and it's around midnight when Eva finds herself walking up stairs from her room to the living room, where she finds her Mamma sitting on the couch, laptop on the coffee table. Eva stands, quietly, watching her Mamma work and in a few seconds, Anne is looking up from her paperwork and finds Eva standing there.

"Hey. Why are you still awake?" She asks, her voice quiet and careful, as if she's going to startle Eva away.

"Can't sleep," Eva replies, making her way to the couch, sitting beside her Mamma, leaning into her side.

"School called. I just don't understand how you would get a detention," Eva's Mamma says, and Eva frowns.

"It was my fault, Mamma. I'm sorry."

"You should be doing better, Eva. You're captain of the volleyball team, you need to be setting good examples," she lectures and Eva sighs.

"I know." It's quiet between them for a while before Eva speaks up again. "Do you ever think about trying something new, but are afraid of what your friends or other people might think?”

"Like, actually doing your homework?" Anne teases, but Eva doesn't laugh or crack a smile. 

"No, not like that. More like something that if you really want to try something totally new but it could turn out to be a total disaster and all your friends laugh at you?" 

Anne thinks for a moment, humming quietly as she runs a hand through her daughter's hair. "If they laugh, I don't really think they'd be your friends."

Eva nods, but doesn't reply. She just sits, listening to her mother typing away at her computer, giving her statement deep thought and she thinks _maybe she's right._ Eva sighs, picking herself up from the couch and heads back to her room, lying on her bed as she continues thinking about her mother's words, drifting off to sleep.


End file.
